Legilimency of a sort
by honeymail
Summary: Little one shots about Harry Potter's characters, either important or not. Their thoughts, their fear, their lives. May be before, during of after the books. The rating is mostly to be safe since I don't have any precise idea of what I'll write.
1. End and Beginning

La mort est quelquefois un châtiment; souvent c'est un don; pour plus d'un, c'est une grâce.

_Death is sometime a curse…_

Lily Potter almost cried when she heard the thump of her husband's body as it hit the floor. She shook as the noise of Voldemort's footsteps got closer to the room where she was with her son. She cursed their overconfidence in their friend's loyalty that had prevented them from having a portkey ready in an event like this. When the door opened, her wand was steady and she was ready to fight, but, as she looked into his eyes and saw the bloodlust, she started crying and pleading for her only child's life. She died certain of his near death, never knowing her sacrifice would give him the greatest protection again his enemy.

_Often, it is a gift…_

For the past year, Albus Dumbledore had felt his strength leave him. Old age was partly to blame, but the curse that was burning his arm and magic was another part of it. He had been ready to die many years ago, but the fight with a Dark Lord he had partly created had kept him in this world. Now, seeing the child that was fated to fight the monster become a man, he was ready. And when is old friend had stood before him and uttered the fateful words, he closed his eyes in peace.

_For many, it's a grace._

Severus had lived many more years than he had thought possible. Spies tend to have very short lives in wars. He had actually hoped to die early as a way to redeem his deeds and to, maybe, find a kind of peace. Which is why, he didn't try to fight when the Dark Lord ordered his pet snake to bite him. Now, he could rest and be forgotten.


	2. Wisdom and Regrets

_One head cannot contain all wisdom._

They see me as all knowing and all powerful. In their eyes I'm a god and, for them, I try to be. But the truth is, I am only a man. I try to see everything and be everywhere, but by looking at the forest so much, I tend to miss the trees. It happened to Sirius all those years ago. Severus also paid a price, thrown in a role he hates. Harry was one of those who suffered the most for my failures. Early in life, by having to survive his relatives, but also later on, when I proved over and over again that Howarts wasn't as safe as I wanted it to be.

Legilimency isn't mind reading and I don't routinely peak in other people's mind. They have a right to privacy. "_Those that can trade freedom for a little security, deserve neither freedom nor security_" and all that. I never knew about Quirrell and Tom, though I will admit those traps where set up to test Harry, to see where he stood. None of them were truly dangerous though, I had made sure of that.

Harry is the student who scared me the most. It seemed every year he was in danger. Severus came close also with his family and the way James and his clique treated him in school. My heart ached when I learned he had joined the Death Eaters. Tom is the one a failed the most though. I never gave him a chance. Maybe this is why I give more chances than I should now. I don't want to make the same mistake twice.

I play my grandfather persona and act all-knowing so that others feel safer in the world while I fear for those I care and weep for those I failed.


	3. Painful smile

The difference between friendship and love is how much you can hurt each other. –

**Ashleigh Brilliant**

At first, forcing herself to come here had been like picking at a scab. It's painful and you know it's wrong, but you can't stop yourself. And every time you take away the scab, it bleeds again. The recovery is longer than it should, but it still heals, though it leaves a scar that, even faded, will never go away.

She smiled at the Leaky Cauldron's bartender and when she smiled back, it felt like all those years ago, before everything happened, but her eyes looked down and the fantasy slipped away. Still, she went forward and exchange small talk with the person behind the counter. Falling back into old habits, though it wasn't the same and never would be. There were things even the strongest friendship could not recover from. Susan Bones remembered the pain, the tears at the end. The memories were so strong they seem to hide the laughter and sun of others as if they tarnished them with their gloom. Some memories were stronger than others. Her love had left and maybe it had been for the best. At least, Hannah had found someone worthy to love her even if it wasn't Susan. Susan would continue to live and yes, she could smile at her ex-lover and of course she would be there at the wedding and yes she would be the godmother of Hannah and Neville's child. And maybe one day she could actually mean it.


End file.
